Whole Wheat Sourdough Pita Bread

Steps

1. 1Feed starter several hours prior to mixing dough and allow it to peak.
2. 21. Mix: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together water, starter, honey, olive oil, salt, and whole wheat flour until no dry flour remains. Knead dough in the bowl for about 6 minutes until it becomes very smooth. Dough should be tacky, but not very sticky.
3. 32. Bulk ferment: Form the dough into a ball, cover, and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size. (Bulk fermentation took me about 5 hours with a dough temp of 79°F and an ambient temp of 71°F, for reference.)
4. 43. Divide, shape and proof: Divide the dough into 6 pieces and form each piece into a ball. Cover the dough balls and allow them to rest (proof) for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place a baking stone on the center rack of a cold oven, then preheat oven to 450°F.
5. 54. Roll out: Roll each dough ball into a thin circle measuring 7-inches in diameter, dusting the dough with flour as needed to prevent sticking. (Rolling to an even thickness will help the pitas puff into pockets while baking.) Cover the rounds until ready to bake.
6. 65. Bake: Transfer 3 pitas, top-sides down, onto the preheated baking stone. Close the oven door and bake for 4 minutes. Pockets should puff, but will not turn golden brown when done baking. Remove from oven with a spatula, and place on a cooling rack. Reheat the oven before baking the final 3 pitas to insure they puff as well. Allow pita bread to cool completely before storing leftovers in an airtight container. Sourdough pita can also be wrapped and frozen for up to three months.